Human food choices: An examination of the factors underlying acceptance/rejection of novel and familiar animal and nonanimal foods

• Published in: Appetite Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 214 - 224
• Main Authors: Martins, Y., Pliner, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Choice Behavior; dietary surveys; Disgust; Eating - physiology; Eating - psychology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Food - classification; food acceptability; Food acceptance; food beliefs; Food choices; Food neophobia; Food Preferences - psychology; Food rejection; foods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; human nutrition; Humans; Male; Meat; Medical sciences; men; Metabolic diseases; novel foods; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Omnivore's dilemma; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; regression analysis; sensory properties; Taste - physiology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women; Food rejection; Omnivore's dilemma; Food choices; Food neophobia; Disgust; Food acceptance; Human; Acceptance; Choice; Feeding behavior; Nutrition; Psychology; Food choices: Food acceptance; Rejection; Etiology; Animal; Psychopathology; Examination; Food
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2005.08.002

Two studies, aimed at increasing our knowledge of the factors that contribute to acceptance of novel foods were conducted. In Study 1, male and female participants were presented with familiar and novel animal and nonanimal foods and were asked to rate these foods on a variety of measures including: beliefs about the foods, feelings to the thought of ingesting the foods, and willingness to try the foods. Results demonstrated that willingness to try familiar nonanimal foods was predicted by beliefs about the negative sensory properties of the foods and joy elicited by the thought of eating them. Willingness to try familiar animal foods was predicted by beliefs about the sensory properties of the foods and beliefs about the anticipated negative consequences of eating them. Conversely, willingness to try novel foods, of both animal and nonanimal origin was predicted by beliefs about the disgusting properties of these foods and the interest evoked at the thought of consuming them. Study 2 used a qualitatively different sample from that used in Study 1 and perfectly replicated the previous results pertaining to the novel foods. Implications for our understanding of food-related disgust rejections are considered.